I used to spend my 3d in the choc ice machine on the way back from Portslade County School For Boys in the summer - Mr Coleman I think his name was. We lived in Old Shoreham Road opposite the golf links. I was back in the UK in 2002 and was surprised to see the golf club was gone - a road now running down the middle of it. Now I'm in Brisbane its all memories for me - great site.

I used to live in Old Shoreham Road, just up from the New England Road railway bridge, with my parents (my parents still live there today). When I was much younger I remember a small grocery shop on the corner of Old Shoreham Road. The bottom of Old Shoreham Road has not changed that much, with the exception of the bollards on the left hand side of the road (going up from bottom of road to the corner) - this was done to prevent vehicles from mounting the pavement.

In responce to Mick Wren who would like to see photo's of the Old Shoreham Road Portslade. Put Portslade into search site. Ray Hamblett has a wonderful site full of his photo's of that and other areas. I remember this area more in 1960s/70s and I had a lot of memories revived after visiting his site.

I lived at 80 Old Shoreham Road up until 1954, my mother ran a School of Elocution and Dramatic Art - Gladys Weston - from there. Can anyone tell me what happened to that house?

I was born on the Old Shoreham Road opposite what is now Speedy Spares. In the early 50s the parade of shops was very popular and had everything you needed except, as my mother lamented, a post office and a chemist. For those we had to travel to Trafalgar Road.  The shops were as I remember running east to west: Harringtons the bakers, Winnie Bray ran the greengocers, there was a wool shop called Rays and a butchers called Elsies. On the other side of the waste ground was the shoe menders which was run by the Greens until it was taken over by Bob Roffey, next to that was Sear and Tongue which was a very successful grocery. Mr Tongue was in some way connected to the introduction of Danish Bacon. The newsagents / sweetshop was called Browns and was managed by Mr Heasman and assisted by Mr Pitt who went on to marry Winnie Bray the greengrocer. At the end of the block was Findlaters the off licence which never seemed to have customers.  There were other shops to the east dominated by Pembrokes grocery and the sweet shop run by his wife later taken over by Mr Parker who installed the choc ice machine. On the corner of Wolesley Road was Patchings the ironmongers which became the hairdressers.  Like most places it was quite a stable little community based around the shops and Wolesley Road. The characters I remember in the 50s and early 60s were Fred Steele the mobile greengrocer, Charlie Todd in Melrose Avenue, Mr Dale the taxi driver Harry Wakeham who had a mismatched glass eye, the Finchs and the Greens who ran the laundry and Bert Brundle who lived in Abinger Road. This site has stirred so many memories.

Hi Peter, I remember you and your family. We lived over the road in the laundry - see the article on Carlisle Laundry and the area around - much as you describe.

I lived at 50 Old Shoreham Road in Brighton until my mid teens and I was the fourth generation of the same family to live at that address. My Great Grandfather brought the house when it was first built. At that time, the row of terraced houses between the junctions with Stanford Road and Hamilton Road was called Prestonville Terrace. I remember that there were two small Grocers Shops on each corner of Old Shoreham Road and York Gardens one of which, now converted to a house, was run by a Mr Shand and his wife. They used to sell greengrocery from a lean-to, which is now a garage, at the side of the shop.

I went out with a girl from Old Shoreham Road. She had to go in the shop next door to phone me. Around 1972,  met at Blue Waters holiday camp in Seaton, Devon

Hi Pam!, did your mother perchance emigrate to South Africa at some point? The drama teacher at my primary school was Gladys Weston-Davies. I once visited her at her home near Stellenbosch.

Hi Pam! Did your mother perchance emigrate to South Africa at some point? The drama teacher at my primary school was Gladys Weston-Davies. I once visited her at her home near Stellenbosch.

Pam, Was the School of Elocution taken over from the Doreen Inman School of Elocution by any chance?

I was born in Melrose Avenue 1943, and remember those shops well. I went to St Nicholas School, and then on to Mile Oak school. This place did have a village feeling as everybody knew everyone. When I visited last I didnt recognise the place, what a shame, progress.

I remember the road works to take out the front gardens and other things to widen the roads. We used to travel along there every week.

I lived 91 Old Shoreham Road over my dad's sweet / tobacconist / paper shop between Warrens grocers and Haywards hair dressers - I think it was from about 1955 to 1962. Saunders greengrocers was there as today and I remember Dysons haberdashery store, a chemist and a funeral place all on my side of the street. I went to Ellen Street School which was demolished in the 1960s I think.

The row of shops on the Old Shoreham Road opposite Applesham Way is much changed. The garage has become a Garden Centre which is ironic as the garage was built on a nursery! Nearly all the shops are either run by Speedy Spares which has been there for years or the Garden Centre. The only exception is the August Moon which occupies the grocers shop. For a fast food outlet this must be a record as I recall it being there 30 years ago. The road is faster and most of the personality of that area has gone. However friends who live in Melrose Avenue still maintain their spirit.

Born in 1942 and named after the battleship, I lived at 23 Applesham Way and in the early 50s my playmates were Roger Bateman, Bob Dyke, Richard and Phil Green. I remember with great affection the area as described by Roger Bateman and Peter Wrapson. I now live in Southwick with Judy, my wife of 37 years. My Mum, Doris, is now 99 years old and still lives at No 23. Whilst sharp as a pin, she has forgotten some aspects of the area and will be very pleased when I fill in the gaps using the comments of Roger and Peter.

It was really good to read Rodney Way's comment. I do remember you as a very tall boy and once tried on his cowboy trousers which were too big for me This was done at the behest of your sister Angela. I also remember his father parking a huge Regent petrol tanker outside No 23. It was to me a thing of wonder. I sometimes saw your other sister Gillian on the bus from Worthing. As always this site throws up many memories.

Hi, interesting to read all about this area as I grew up there. I lived at 80 Old Shoreham Road, Portslade from 1952 till I married in 1974. My mum and dad rented the upstairs and then managed to buy the whole house. Does anyone remember the sweet shop owned by the Hollidays? Their son Norman was my best friend - still in contact! Would like to hear more memories.

Paul Brewers comments were interesting as there were three sweetshops in that area during my time. Mrs Pembroke had one which was bought by Mr Parker who installed the choc ice machine, Browns which is closest to Southwick which was run by Mr Heasman and then Mr Debenham and Daniels near Southern Cross, Which one did the Holidays take on or was it another? Not many are left now as roads and supermarkets take their toll. Yet I guess that either side of the road communities still exist yet they are not united by the shops and pubs, However the schools and clubs like scouts and guides keep it going. Perhaps chatting to the neighbours has been replaced by TV etc. Paul has reminded me of those times and how we owe a lot to where we grew up.

Hi Rodney, I remember you and your family well, we lived at 20 Melrose Avenue, and have lots of photos of us all as children growing up in the area. We left Sussex in 1954, but have very fond memories of the freedom we had, and of the place. Shame it had to change.

On talking to my mum apparently the house numbers have been changed over the years and she did not live at 80, but rather 56. She has enjoyed reading the comments and it brought back many memories.

The Off Licence, Findlaters, was run by my aunt and uncle, Roy and Lily Watson. I used to love visiting them because the flat seemed to have so many rooms. My father also worked for Findlaters, in Waterloo Street, Hove, then it was taken over by the Threshers branch of Whitbreads